Maldives government highlights the impact of climate change... by meeting underwater

The Maldives government has made an eye-catching plea for climate change action by holding the world's first underwater cabinet meeting.

Politicians from the Indian Ocean island nation donned scuba gear this morning to send a message to world leaders ahead of December's UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.

The nation's president Mohammed Nasheed has voiced fears the archipelago will be swamped by raising sea levels unless action is taken to reduce carbon emissions.The 30-minute cabinet meeting held six metres below sea-level was intended to show what the future could hold for the Maldives.

The 350,000 inhabitants of the country live on 1,192 coral islands an average of only 2.1 metres above the ocean.

Ministers communicated using hand signals and white boards as they signed a document calling on all countries to cut their emissions.

It read: 'We must unite in a world war effort to halt further temperature rises. Climate change is happening and it threatens the rights and security of everyone on Earth.

'We have to have a better deal. We should be able to come out with an amicable understanding that everyone survives. If Maldives can't be saved today, we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world.'President Nasheed was already a certified diver but most of the cabinet have had to take diving lessons in recent weeks in preparation for the meeting.

Zoona Naseem, president of Divers Association Maldives, said: 'None of the ministers have ever been diving before, except the defense minister, and all of them are very enthusiastic.'

Nasheed has already announced plans for a fund to buy a new homeland for his people if the 1,192 coral islands are submerged. He has promised to make the Maldives the world's first carbon-neutral nation within a decade.

As he emerged after the meeting, he said: 'We are trying to send our message to let the world know what is happening and what will happen to the Maldives if climate change isn't checked.'

At the UN Copenhagen conference countries will negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol which controlled carbon emissions.

Wealthy nations want broad emissions cuts from all countries, while poorer ones say industrialized countries should carry most of the burden.

On Friday the Maldives ministers went diving for rehearsals of the meeting off the island of Girifushi, about 20 minutes by speedboat from the capital, Male.

Three of the 14 in the cabinet had to miss the underwater meeting because two were not given medical permission and another was abroad.